wunderkind

Yesterday on the way home, I came across a guy who seems to be tinkering with the rear derailleur. Thoughts that went though my was.... should I stop? I am on a fast rhythm heading back and would hate to break that groove. You know, when you everything felt just right as you pedal along.
Another thought also crossed my mind is that, Vancouver is a haven of bike thieves. There's a thriving market for stolen bicycles in this city. I've read about horror stories that cyclist who stopped to help has had an accomplice rushing from nowhere and grab your bike. The area did has some bushes along the path.
And lastly, I thought... being a noobie how can I help anyways.
But I thought to myself, if I am in his shoes, I'd welcome someone to help me out. As they say what goes around, comes around. So I stopped and offer assistance. My initial thinking was, perhaps his chain fell off or the rear tire sprung a leak. But further inspection, it turns out to be a broken pedal... or maybe even a faulty BB. The bike was quite old. I reckon he (told me he is new to biking) bought a bike from CL and didn't test it properly.
So I was no help in the end. Oh well I tried. Maybe I should've called the local BCAA Ride Assist.
Do you folks stop to offer assistance on your commute?

travelmama

I have stopped to help another and think more should if time permits. I see more and more on bikes around here however they either don't fit properly or on flats. I will start offering air and some advice to help make their riding a lot easier or faster.

StephenH

I've stopped to offer assistance several times, and had numerous cyclists check on me when I was stopped beside the road.

adanthang

I've never stopped. I've asked if they needed help as I approached, but have never been taken up on the offer. I would stop though, if someone needed some help.

Likewise, I've been asked if I needed help when I've been stopped and I've always politely declined.

vtjim

I've stopped a couple of times, too. The must amusing was a poor guy fiddling with his back brake caliper, which had frozen up on him and wouldn't let go. Literally frozen. It was in the teens, F, middle of winter.

Earlier this year a couple on a tandem had two flats. Bad luck!

Sixty Fiver

Always.

rideabike

I always stop and ask.

The other day though, I had a flat and about 50 people passed me without saying anything while I was working on it.

As i watched so many people go by, I began to wonder how many of them would have been able to provide assistance. My guess is that most of the people riding by had no idea how to fix a flat and that's why they didn't stop or say anything.

Skones MickLoud

I always at least ask. Most people don't answer in the affirmative, so off I go. I've got no problem with helping somone out if they need it. I've been there before, lost in the sauce at how to fix something.

caloso

I always ask.

ItsJustMe

I would, but I've never seen another cyclist in distress. I rarely even see another cyclist.
At least I could offer a phone, or use of a pump or tools.

BengeBoy 

Yesterday, I got *dropped* on a hill on the way home by a guy I see frequently on my 10-mile commute.

A couple of miles later, I look over on the side of his road and I see that his bike was down, and he was leaning over fiddling with something. So I stopped to help. It turned out he was just picking fresh blackberries by the side of the road.

However, idyllic as that appeared, I was still angry at him for passing me on the hill, so I pushed him into the (thorny) blackberry bushes, let the air out of his tires, and went on my way.

thefatkid

Yeah, but your just fishing for work.

I stop and ask. I feel let down every time they say no. Two times I have offered tubes to walkers and they refuse. I have only ever seen flats on my rides through.

thorsteno

Pumped up a noob's tire about 6 months ago. He was the first cyclist I've seen in distress during my commute. Some guy gave my buddy a tube once after a catastrophic flat that was unpatchable.

Sheik_Yerbouti

I only stop for young women, because I'm a playa. I figure that I have all the tools needed for the ride, so why don't you? I'm too busy to stop for some irresponsible bloke who doesn't know how to fix a flat or adjust his brakes.

starla

I was on my MTB and saw a roadie on the side of the road. Didn't know that I could offer much help but asked. Turned out he was painting arrows on the road for an upcoming group ride

But yes, I would definitely stop and help if I could. I know how I'd feel if I was on the other end.

Sheik_Yerbouti

I carry dog-spray for these situations.

lil brown bat

I ask and then stop if they say they need help.

canyoneagle

This has been my experience thus far. Some years back I was taken up on my offer, and I obliged.

umd

yes

evanp

I stopped to help a girl change a flat on Bee Caves road here in Austin. She had some old, brittle tire levers and a new Conti Gatorskin. She'd already broken 2 of her 3 levers and had no chance in hell of working the thing on with her bare hands. A few other times I've asked if someone needed help, and continued on when they indicated they were OK. Always offer help.

truman

Sure, all the time. I get taken up on it maybe 5% of the times I ask. I can't recall a time when I couldn't help at all. I've fixed a broken chain ("You've got a TOOL for that?!"), slipped derailleur cable, several flats, straightened a potato shipped wheel back to ridability, tightened a slipping seat post, and gave a power bar and gatorade to a bonked dude.

Pinyon

I always slow down and ask. I've always wondered why most of them seem nervous when you stop...like they want you to go away. How socially awkward can changing an inner tube together possibly be? I appreciate the help when I've run out of spare tubes and patches (goat-head thorns are a BIG thing here).

I sort of understand women riders wanting a bigger guy like me to go away fast, though. There are enough jerks out there, that act like perfect gentlemen for the first few seconds, before they start in on them. I often spend more time convincing ladies with broken-down rides that I'm not trying to pick them up, or bother them; than it takes to just change-out an inner tube and be done with it.

jyossarian

I ask first and stop if requested.

Pragmatik

I always stop. When I was waiting for a lift to the emergency room when I crashed badly in April, dozens of cars drove by me standing there with a bloody face. The first cyclist to come by came to a fast stop and said, "Holy $#!+, you Okay?" I assured him I was and urged him to go onto wherever he was going. But I never forgot that the first cyclist stopped.

(I thought it would happen again, so I faced the other way, with my back to the road, so no cyclists stopping to help would get hurt or freaked out by how badly my face looked.)

You know, I don't think we'd read the same number of drivers who would stop to help a disabled car. Maybe it's a face/eye-contact thing. Or maybe people are just nicer on bikes?

(I don't mean to get all anti-car, but....)

Nerdanel 

I always ask if there's just the one cyclist. I stop if requested. I'm never going very fast anyway so it's not like I blow right by.